The 12 Best Things To Do in Amsterdam
by Rebecca Hollman
updated Oct 11, 2019
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Amsterdam is one of the most visited cities in Europe and even throughout the entire world. Known for it’s canals, food culture, good music, and party vibes, Amsterdam draws in younger crowds and backpackers from all around the world. But Amsterdam is so much more than the Red Light District and partying, it is a beautiful city full of amazing food, shopping, history and parks. Below, I’ve listed some of the top iconic things to do while in Amsterdam. However, I would suggest exploring much more than these top 12 and straying off the beaten path as well.
1. Vondelpark and Oosterpark
ABOUT: The two main parks and green areas of the city, Vondelpark and Oosterpark are must visits. On opposite sides of the city, these two parks give a nice relief from the city life and have trails, bike paths, ponds, cafes, and plenty of open space to park your bum for the day. If you rented a bike, make sure to take a cruise through both parks and enjoy the tranquility the parks have to offer. Make a stop for some yoga or a grassy picnic in the park, hopefully on a nice, sunny day.
GETTING THERE: Vondelpark is on the southwest side of the city, close to the Museumplein. Oosterpark is on the southeast side of the city. Both areas are bike-able (or walkable) from most attractions in Amsterdam. The areas around Vondelpark and Oosterpark are also great places to stay - more quiet but still thriving parts of Amsterdam. Below is a map of Amsterdam showing where both parks are located.
2. Foodhallen
ABOUT: Foodhallen is a big inside market with over 21 different food vendors/restaurants selling their fares. There is a large communal seating space for all the vendors so you can grab a snack from one place, a pastry from another, and a beer from another. Foodhallen also has events like live music on the weekends. This is a good place to come sit with friends and try a little bit of all the vendors, from Dim Sum to Mexican to hot dogs to sushi, there’s something here for everyone.
GETTING THERE: Foodhallen is located on the southwest side of town, between Vondelpark and De Negen Straatjes. It is about 12 minutes by car from Amsterdam Centraal station, and a similar amount of time by bike.
3. Winkel 43
ABOUT: This small typical European cafe might not immediately catch your eye but it is known for having the best apple pie in the Netherlands. Stop by for a coffee and a slice of pie and ice cream and sit along the canals. Don’t be surprised if there is a wait for a table, it is not a secret that this apple pie is so dang good.
GETTING THERE: Winkel 43 is located on the west side of the city - very close to De Negen Straatjes. It would be a good stop after spending the morning winding through the streets of Jordaan.
4. Rijksmuseum
ABOUT: The Rijksmuseum is the Dutch national museum, dedicated to arts and history. It is the most visited museum in the Netherlands, and also the biggest museum in the country. The museum has 8,000 objects on display out of their entire collection of 1 million objects. These range from the years 1200-2000 and include artwork, furniture, clothing, weaponry, and much more. The museum has multiple floors and wings, and you could easily spend days in the museum. Make sure to give yourself a full day to truly explore as much of the museum as you can. There is a cafe/restaurant inside the museum.
GETTING THERE: The museum is located in the Museumplein, in the south side of the city. The Museumplein is a large grassy field surrounded by many museums on all side. This area is a great place to put down a blanket in the sun and picnic, and also enjoy cafes and many museums.
5. Van Gogh Museum
ABOUT: Step into Van Gogh's world. Explore the world’s largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh, the surrealist painter known for his works like Starry Night. Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. However, he didn’t reach infamy until after his death. In just over a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of which date from the last two years of his life. He created many of his works from behind the walls of a mental institute.
GETTING THERE: The Van Gogh Museum is in the Museumplein, a big grassy field with many museums lining it on all sides. Tickets sell out days in advance so you will need to buy a ticket online to secure a spot. If you walk up to the museum without a ticket, there will likely be no way you will be able to get in that day.
6. Red Light District
ABOUT: I don’t think the Red Light District needs much elaborating. This, and the “coffee shops”, are why most people come to Amsterdam unfortunately. Amsterdam has so much other amazing stuff to offer, but the Red Light District is what the city is famous for - so at least walk through the area one night. Expect brothels, sex shops, sex museums, prostitution galore, sex “shows” of varying assortments, “coffee shops” (really cafes that sell weed), strip clubs, gay bars, and much more. Explore as much as you are comfortable here, but be mindful to not take any pictures of the working girls or inside a show. Like I said, it’s a must visit just for the pure shock experience - but don’t get stuck in the tourist trap of the Red Light District and make sure to see other parts of Amsterdam as well.
GETTING THERE: The Red Light District is a neighborhood in central Amsterdam. It is easily walkable from most parts of the city. Lots of hotels are in the Red Light District. You can also rent a bike and easily cruise around to almost anywhere in Amsterdam.
7. Sunset Canal Cruise
ABOUT: One of the most quintessential Amsterdam things to do is take a boat ride in the canal. A sunset cruise through the canal really gives a magical feel. There are all sorts of ways to get out into the canal, but if you are short for time there are tourist boats that take you through the canals and to the most iconic spots. Lots of these are jump on/jump off boats and you can get out at any tourist point you want. A more authentic experience would be to rent a boat yourself or find some new Dutch friends to take you out on their boat.
GETTING THERE: There are infinite tour companies to choose from - some that do champagne cruises through the red light district, others that do candlelit dinner cruises, others specifically for history or art buffs, and some that are kid friendly. Make sure to do your own research and find the company that works best for your interests. Most of them have a central meeting spot in the heart of Amsterdam, where others have multiple stops around the city where you can hop on.
8. Museum Hopping
ABOUT: Amsterdam has hundreds of museums spread all across the city, ranging from science to art to prostitution. You could spend weeks in the city and never see all the museums, and you could spend days in Rijksmuseum and never see all the exhibits. I’ve consolidated a list of Amsterdam locals’ favorite museums, as well as tourist’s favorite museums, so you can get a taste of a little bit of everything: modern art, film making, science, history, and the just plain weird.
Body Worlds
Sex Museum
Houseboat Museum
Moco Museum
Foam
Anne Frank House
Stedelijk Museum
EYE Filmmuseum
Hermitage Amsterdam
Electric Ladyland
NEMO Science Museum
GETTING THERE: These museums are spread all across the city so check out the map below which has every museum I’ve listed pinned on here for your convenience.
9. Jordaan- De Negen Straatjes Shopping
ABOUT: The area of Jordaan within Amsterdam is known for it’s amazing shopping. The whole area is lined with awesome stores of all varieties - clothing, books, suits, knick knacks, soaps, etc. There truly is a unique store here for everything. The most famous area of Jordaan is called De Negen Straatjes (The Nine Little Streets), which is where most of the shops are clustered, but the whole neighborhood of Jordaan has plenty to offer, including many canal front restaurants and bars.
GETTING THERE: Jordaan is easily walkable from Amsterdam Centraal, or most parts of the city. However, if you rented a bike then getting there would be a breeze. Take some time to walk up and down the many side streets of this area and see what you can find.
10. Take a Day Trip to Another Town
ABOUT: If you’ve seen enough of Amsterdam itself, the amazing Dutch train system allows you to easily visit some other smaller Dutch towns nearby. All of the following towns would make great day trips from Amsterdam, or even for a weekend.
Rotterdam: Up and coming city with cool architecture and trendy vibes.
The Hague: The country’s seat of Parliament - this city has historical and political things galore and it is also next to the beach.
Zaanse Shans: Picturesque old Dutch village with windmills. Also has a cheese making shop, wooden clog maker and a museum.
Giethoorn: Small village with canals instead of streets and boats instead of cars.
Utrecht: Smaller version of Amsterdam. More canals and less tourists. University town.
Haarlem: Smaller version of Amsterdam. More canals and less tourists.
GETTING THERE: All these towns are easily accessible by train from Amsterdam Centraal station in less than an hour.
11. Visit a Dutch Cheese Market
ABOUT: There are four different towns near Amsterdam that are worth a visit for their cheese and cheese markets. These are Edam, Gouda, Woerden and Alkmaar. Traditionally, Dutch cheese farmers brought their cheeses to the market square in town to sell. Special teams (vemen) carry the cheese in barrows because they are more than 160kg. Each team wears different coloured straw hats, depending on the official guild of cheese-carriers. The buyers then taste the cheeses. If they like the cheese, they start bargaining the price using a ritual handshake or ‘clap the hands’ (handjeklap). They clap the hand of the other and shout out the price. If they agreed on a price, the porters then carry the cheese to the weighing house (de Waag). Today, all of the markets except for Woerden are essentially tourist re-enactments, but that doesn’t mean their not still worth visiting. Most cheese markets are only operational during the summer months.
Alkmaar: The market is every Friday morning. Less a market and more a cheese tourist re-enactment spectacle. There is also an evening cheese market from 7 to 9 pm on Tuesdays. The cheese market is also surrounded by an arts and craft market with vendors selling a variety of other goods.
Woerden: This is the only “real” cheese market on the list. This market has been in operation for over 100 years and farmers from surrounding farms bring their cheese to the market where it is sold. The prices determine the national prices of Dutch Farmers Cheese (Boerenkaas). This market is every Saturday morning with a special viewing from 11 am to noon. The market lasts throughout the day selling cheese and local produce.
Gouda: The cheese Gouda is named after this town. Here they bring in Gouda cheese on wagonettes every Thursday morning. There is also a cheese museum where you can learn about everything cheese.
Edam: Another cheese that is named after it’s Dutch town counterpart - Edam holds historical reenactments of its cheese market every Wednesday morning (till 12:30 pm) in July and August. The cheeses are brought to the market by horse-drawn carts and boats.
GETTING THERE: All four towns are easily accessible by train from Amsterdam Centraal station in less than an hour.
12. Visit a Tulip Farm
ABOUT: The most accessible place to see hordes of tulips is at the Keukenhof Gardens, just outside the town of Lisse. It is the world’s largest flower park and is only open for a few weeks every year to showcase its tulip bulbs. Around 7 million flower bulbs are planted in the garden every year. If you want to see the tulips in large strips of color out in the farmer’s field, consider riding a bike or driving around the town of Lisse.
GETTING THERE: The gardens are only open for two months each year - from roughly the end of March to the end of May. It’s open from 8 am to 7 pm daily. Keukenhof is an easy bus ride from Amsterdam. From Amsterdam-Zuid Station use bus 341 or from Amstelveen Bus Station use bus 300 to Hoofddorp Station and then bus 859 to Keukenhof.